The Saints Can't Help Me Now
by PhantombMoll
Summary: Quite frankly Harvey Bullock doesn't need any more trouble in his life. A new partner who wants him taking on city hall every five minutes and a Captain busting his balls about long forgotten cases. Harvey Bullock is drawn to trouble like a moth to a flame though and this certain kind of trouble leaves the sweetest taste in his mouth. {Harvey x OFC} {First Published 2015}
1. Chapter 1: Not Gunna Jump

_**A/N:** Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_I first published this piece of fanfiction in 2015 under a different username, it was born after I was writing another fic which paired Penny and Alfred Pennyworth. In that fic Penny had been friends with Harvey for a long time and through writing that I started to enjoy their chemistry so I wrote this. At some point I purged my fanfic account and for a few months that was okay but two years later I deeply, deeply regretted that decision. I don't know why I did it. Thanks to the wonderful fanfic archive I managed to track down a few of them, this included. _

_I read the whole thing through and I wanted to republish it because it was a piece I was proud of and quite frankly Harvey Bullock will always have a very special place in my heart. So here we are. I'm going to republish it with minor changes and now that Gotham is finished I'm thinking about potentially continuing it because that show, as far as I'm concerned, did Harvey dirty. I think this fic will be quite canon divergent therefore but given how little the writers seemed to give a crap about Harvey's life I figured I can get away with it._

_If you enjoy please do review =)_

* * *

"C'mon kid. It'll be somethin' and nothin' but we gotta check it out in case the nosey old bat next door makes a complaint." Officer Hauser said. The man was older than Harvey by a good number of years, weight around his stomach and Harvey knew that had to be from all the doughnuts Hauser put away. "I can't afford another telling off from the damn commissioner and you know it. The douchebag is still on my back about all that hulabaloo you caused last Thursday in uptown."

It hadn't exactly been Harvey's fault that a suspected murderer had run into a restaurant in the poshest part of Gotham, ok so maybe his comments had been a little unwarranted and maybe tasting food off some petrified diner's plate had been a bad idea. In Harvey's eyes though it had made him look like some cool sophisticated movie cop. He'd been damn proud of the line he'd come out with too and he still barked out a laugh at the memory.

Harvey Bullock had been on the force for a few years, he was working his way up to Detective, hell he was ready to be a Detective right now but he had to wait until one of the other detectives retired. That's what the commish said, a pretty weird way of working things but he didn't mind doing it if he was guaranteed the job.

Harvey Bullock, was 25 and aching to be a detective, readying himself to put the world to rights. For now though he was investigating a domestic in down town Gotham. If there was one thing Harvey Bullock abhorred it was domestic violence, especially towards women and it unfortunately was something that happened all too often in Gotham. Harvey couldn't save every one though, he couldn't save every woman and kid and he'd had to learn that pretty damn fast. Not only did the system not support it, half the time the women didn't want to press charges; too scared or too in love to say something. Harvey hated these calls because they made rage bubble under his skin, he wasn't angry with the victims not for a moment, he was angry because he couldn't help them, couldn't make them see. Occasionally he'd come across a woman who had attitude to go along with her bruises, they usually had a few words for the officers and neighbours and they were usually the ones whose husbands came home looking as beat up as they did. Harvey would hardly call those one's domestics, some relationships were just fucked up, some people's relationships just worked like that and who was he to judge them? As long as no kiddies were getting hurt, they could beat each other black and blue for all he cared.

Domestic calls Harvey hated, there was no guarantee of which kind it was going to be, women and kids were one thing but another was animals and that irked Harvey too. Hauser had told him several times that his problem was that he wanted to save everyone and everything and he couldn't.

Harvey knocked on the door a little harder than necessary and waited, he was expecting a man to come to the door, tell him everything was alright when really it wasn't. Instead he was met by a heavily pregnant blonde girl. She had to be in her twenties or late teens and she had bruises on her face, they littered her arms.

"Jesus what do you want?" The woman asked him leaning against the door frame. She sounded so much older than she looked and that attitude, you could see the fire right behind her eyes.

"We had a noise complaint ma'am. Lady down the hall said it sounded like you were getting beat up pretty bad, lot of screaming." Harvey said seriously, pushing his hat up slightly with his finger. "What happened there?" He asked gesturing to her face.

"Look, nosey old bats down the corridor need to keep their damn ears off the wall, and cops with nothing better to do need to keep their noses out." The lady replied arms folded across her chest. "Do I really look like a battered wife to you?'' She asked him and Harvey just gave her a look because what was he supposed to say to that? She did look like a battered housewife, but she looked exactly like the sort that would sock it right back to the chump who'd hit her. She was pregnant though and no man, no man should be hitting a pregnant lady. Ever. He should be doting on her, rubbing her feet, letting her cry and get mad over the wrong flowers or cake, not smacking her about. It made Harvey angry but he kept his exterior cool.

"What you gunna tell me you walked into a door?" Harvey asked with a chuckle.

"You gunna believe me if I tell you I walked into a door?" The woman replied.

"Maybe, let's see how good the story is?" Harvey offered and the woman tilted her head before shaking it and stepping away from the door.

"I walked into a door and another door, I walked into the fridge a few times too and I can assure you the fridge came off worse. I live alone Detective, occasionally scumbag baby daddy comes around and I'm stupid enough to let him in." The woman replied. "I'm fine, go back to your doughnuts." She waved them off and started turn away. "I'd make that now, unless you want me to vomit all over you and your doused in cologne partner over there." She added when Harvey hadn't moved.

"Ok, ok I get the message." Harvey said holding his hands up and stepping back from the door. What else was he supposed to say? Supposed to do, she didn't want help. Sometimes behind the eyes it said they wanted help but all Harvey could see in hers was the want to be left alone and get back to whatever she was watching on the television. Harvey wasn't going to disagree with her or kick up a fuss where it wasn't wanted. He learnt his first week on the job about that when he punched a guy and got a firm wrap on the knuckles.

"We're good to go." Harvey said to Hauser who nodded and started to make his way down the stairs. "Look if you do ever need us, call the station, ask for Bullock." Harvey said seriously. The younger woman rolled her eyes though and turned closing the door as she went and disappearing to bring up dinner and breakfast with the morning sickness that the other officer's cologne had brought on.

Harvey would think about her, about the women of Gotham for a while in the car and at home until the next big case came along and he moved on, other things occupying his brain. He quite frankly wouldn't remember or meet her again until ten years later.

Now Harvey had been shaped by Gotham, he had been moulded to fit her form. He had been broken down by her and rebuilt so many times that he'd lost count. The good intentions of a detective wanting to make a stand were still there, still in his heart but they were being ground out of him. Harvey was finding he couldn't entirely fight Gotham, that eventually like his partner Dix he was probably going to end up swallowed whole by her.

It wasn't Harvey who spotted her, he was off duty and someone pointed out with a gasp the woman sat atop the apartment building, sat on the edge of the roof. Harvey didn't waste time in getting into the apartment building and up onto the roof, the elevator was broke and by the time he got to the top he was so out of breath his throat was hurting. A sharp pain made its way into his chest and he was wheezing hard.

The woman closed her eyes for a moment, not that Harvey could see, when she heard him. Harvey approached her once he had his breath back.

"Don't worry, I'm not gunna jump." She said as he approached, he hadn't even had chance to say hello. "I'm fine and safe."

"Safe, heh." Harvey had to laugh because there was a half empty bottle of jack next to her on the ledge.

"Yeah, safe." She said looking back at him for a moment. Harvey had a feeling he'd seen this woman before, everything about her was familiar but he couldn't place her. Harvey pulled out his own flask and took a deep swig. "I'm really not going to jump." She added. Harvey gave her a sceptical look and stepped closer. Deciding she wasn't going to be skittish around him he went ahead and half sat on the ledge, of course he was facing the roof rather than the pavement. His life might not have been a complete barrel of roses but he still didn't want to end it falling off a building by accident. He was planning a blaze of glory, going out a hero if he had to go at all.

"You'd think, in this city that people wouldn't notice, you know." The woman began. "That's why I came up here."

"You wanted to be noticed?" Harvey asked, alarm bells ringing in his head as he misheard.

"No, no the opposite. I _didn't_ want to be noticed. You'd think in this town people would avoid others like the plague but jesus the amount of nosey do gooders. Can't sit on a damn bench for too long or a coffee shop without someone prying. I don't want to sit in the apartment because hell I'll go mad in there. Which leaves here, where people can't really see, where there's no one around. Only apparently people can see and apparently people can't just walk on by." She added letting out a laugh before sighing. "Surely you're not on duty Detective." Harvey tilted his head at her words, wondering both how she knew he was a Detective and how someone so relatively young could be so damn cynical. Sure, Gotham was awash with crime, a grey city with even greyer morals but it did have it's good points.

"Your badge is showing." She said gesturing to where it was on his hip.

"Oh, oh right." Harvey moved his jacket over his badge. "You got good taste." He said gesturing to the bottle on the ledge next to her.

"I know." The woman replied. "Still didn't answer my question. Surely, you're off duty?"

''What of it?'' Harvey asked looking up at her from under his hair.

"Surely you've better things to be doing, bars, broads, wives excetera." The woman rolled her wrist in the air and Harvey ignored her comment.

"So, what drove you up here then? Boyfriend trouble?" Harvey asked her and the woman looked to him and rolled her eyes.

"I wish."

"What you wish you had him back or you wish you could get a boyfriend?" Harvey offered as tactfully as he could.

"I wish it was that simple." The woman replied. "I'm still not gunna jump." She added. "I told you, it's just quiet up here."

"So, what is it then? Not something criminal is it?" He joked.

"No, really. I'm not gunna jump and I'm pretty sure a cop like you, in a city like this has a lot more to worry about than some broad having a nice relaxing evening on a rooftop." The woman replied looking over her shoulder at him, auburn hair gleaming in the moonlight.

"Maybe I don't got anything better to do than talk to a broad on a rooftop, maybe that's exactly what I like to spend my evenings doing." Harvey said with a grin.

"I'm pretty sure you've got bigger things going on than what's in my noggin." She tapped her head in a single second of vulnerability. "Not that I'm going to tell you anyway and not that I'm going to jump. You've done your duty, checked on me I'm not a danger."

"Well-" Harvey drew out the word and looked unsure. "That's not entirely true now is it? I mean if I leave you up here you could do anything, for all I know you could be planning murder from up here. You could be plotting anything, to throw that bottle over the side on someone's head." The young woman gave him an exasperated look. "Hey I'm just doing my duty, you want to stay up here, I'm gunna have to stay up here too."

"Jesus Christ! I just wanted some peace and quiet, that's all I wanted, really." The woman exclaimed. "Why can't you just not care? Really, I mean two Uniformed officers walked past the other night and yelled at me to jump." She added shaking her head and running her fingers through her hair again.

"Well I'm not in uniform." Harvey grinned.

"Ok! Ok fine!" The woman swung her legs back over the side, wriggled her toes a little before hopping up. "Look fine, proof I ain't gunna jump. I'll go home." She said waving him off.

"Ok, well now maybe you could let me buy you a real drink.'' Harvey offered. He was just trying his luck in all honesty. She seemed pretty firey and Harvey liked firey.

"Nuh-uh, no way! Goodbye detective!" She called heading towards the fire exit.

"At least tell me your name, and by the way, if your boyfriend does anything give me a call and I'll have some officers scare him." He said.

"Penny, my name is Penny, and I don't have a boyfriend! Wasn't gunna jump and I certainly wouldn't be jumping over a man!" She added before disappearing out of the door and down into the apartment building.

Harvey sat for a moment on the ledge. He wouldn't have left, that was a fact. He would have stayed there all night until she got down, if he had to, because he would rather be there just in case than leave and see her in the morgue the next day. He didn't need any more guilt on his plate, he already felt bad enough for missed shouts and cases sinking under his desk.

Harvey took a swig of the bottle she'd left and he could taste cigarettes on the bottle edge, he smiled to himself because had it been a different night with a different air to it, he could have probably gotten friendly with her. Harvey would always get along with a woman with good taste in Jack and Cigarettes, especially a red head with that kind of attitude.


	2. Chapter 2: Gingerbread

_**A/N:** Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_I first published this piece of fanfiction in 2015 under a different username, it was born after I was writing another fic which paired Penny and Alfred Pennyworth. In that fic Penny had been friends with Harvey for a long time and through writing that I started to enjoy their chemistry so I wrote this. At some point I purged my fanfic account and for a few months that was okay but two years later I deeply, deeply regretted that decision. I don't know why I did it. Thanks to the wonderful fanfic archive I managed to track down a few of them, this included. _

_I read the whole thing through and I wanted to republish it because it was a piece I was proud of and quite frankly Harvey Bullock will always have a very special place in my heart. So here we are. I'm going to republish it with minor changes and now that Gotham is finished I'm thinking about potentially continuing it because that show, as far as I'm concerned, did Harvey dirty. I think this fic will be quite canon divergent therefore but given how little the writers seemed to give a crap about Harvey's life I figured I can get away with it._

_If you enjoy please do review =)_

* * *

Harvey Bullock had now become exactly what he didn't want to become. He'd become exactly like Dix. Gotham had chewed him up and spit him out. Gotham had beaten, shot, heartbroken and twisted Harvey Bullock until only glimmers of the detective he once was were visible and even then, it was only visible to those who knew him well. He was a shadow of the white knight he'd once been, or at least that was what he liked to tell himself and everyone around him. The truth was that Harvey was still soft in the middle (both literally and figuratively). He was romantic, kind hearted, a decent guy behind all that sass and brash brutishness. Sure, Harvey had fallen in line with the gangsters of the city, sure he used prostitutes to sate a need for someone, once in a while he paid them extra to hold him a little longer. It was fruitless though, it didn't fill the hole he felt in his chest, so instead he crammed it with fast food and alcohol too. He couldn't, he wouldn't drag a woman into this life, he wouldn't go looking for a woman to pull into this mess, not after how he saw the other officer's marriages end up.

Harvey learnt very early on that he had to go along to get along. Beneath the bravado, however, Harvey was still the same nerd wanting to be a hero. Gotham would never allow it though. She had piled so much guilt on Harvey for his attempts to be a hero that the Detective had now given up and ceased trying all together. Dix was bigger than Dottie in terms of the shit that Gotham had thrown at him. Dix had hurt, had caused so much more pain than Dottie.

Dot had been his girl and Harvey, although he'd be hard-pressed to admit it, had even fallen in love with her. She'd been his, she'd cooked him dinner and they'd talked about getting a little house. Maybe even having a kid or two, after Dix's accident though Harvey found it hard to cope and Dottie couldn't cope with Harvey not playing protector. Harvey not playing supporter. She couldn't cope with having to offer a little support herself and instead of talking things out she let him catch her with a uniformed officer who Harvey had real beef with.

Harvey had been heartbroken, really torn up, but Gotham had been there to pick him up and pull him down. Gotham had given him girls of the night, booze that left his head spinning, drugs, gangsters, prostitutes. An endless cycle so that he could barely remember his own name let alone Dot and anytime he did remember, he'd drink a little more.

Dix on the other hand was another matter altogether. Dot had been a cold hard bitch and in time Harvey had been able to see it for what it was and bid that chapter of his life good riddance. Harvey could say it was better it had all come to a head before a house and kids were involved. With Dix however the guilt and what ifs would never go away and Harvey would always know it was his foolishness that put his partner and mentor in a wheelchair. So, Harvey Bullock had stopped being a hero, stopped running into the breach and started towing the line. Yet beneath the surface Harvey was a good guy, he always tipped his waitresses, always treated the girls good and always helped out a kid in need. Harvey just got tougher, got rougher and drank the pain away.

There was a sweet shop on the corner of mid-town, right on the border of mid and uptown where Harvey went from time to time. Everyone loved Schrubers, _everyone_. Every kid and adult in Gotham knew Schrubers sold the best sweets in the world and to top it off they were cheap. Harvey had spent half his childhood in and out of the shop. Maurice Schruber used to give him a mystery to solve every week and if Harvey got it right, he'd get himself something free. It was only in times of nostalgia Harvey really went in anymore and now was one of those moments.

The door opened and the bell tinkled. The shop keep wasn't paying attention though, she was swaying gently, ass up in the air, cleaning some shelves along the very bottom of the unit on her knees. Harvey had to admit he was an ass-man, well he was an ass and breast man. In fact, he was a fan of something he could grab hold of but, the ass and breasts were his favourites and presented before him was a damn fine ass. Harvey tilted his head but didn't say anything, just admired for a moment until the woman glanced back, even then Harvey didn't stop looking.

"Look all you want but you go to touch and kids will be pretending to smoke your fingers before you can say sherbert dip." The woman said standing up and brushing herself off. She was new, or she seemed new. Harvey was trying to figure it out because he hadn't been in here in so long and if he had been in here recently, he'd probably been drunk.

"My hands will stay where you can see em'." Harvey replied holding his hands up and letting out a laugh. "You missed a spot." He joked gesturing to where she'd been cleaning.

"Yeah, that's definitely the first time I've heard that today." The woman shook her head and there was something familiar about the eye roll that she did but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"Well the old ones are the best." Harvey retorted.

"Is that what you tell yourself in a morning?" The woman asked him.

"Ooh, oh ho, ouch! Kitty has claws." Harvey replied letting out a bark of a laugh and watching her closely.

"Fists too so mind your mouth." Harvey's mouth twitched up into a grin at that comment, oh this was definitely his kind of girl. "So, you want something sweet or not?"

"How much are you?" He asked on a reflex. The woman's eyebrows shot up and she gave him a look that evoked a feeling of being on thin ice. A feeling that only his mother had been able to evoke in him before. It was a sort of fear, a fear that made you want to push a little harder but at the same time made you worry just how dire the consequences would be if you did. "It was a joke, I uh-" Harvey faltered taking his hat off and scratching the back of his head. "You got any gingerbread?" He asked trying to skirt over the earlier comment.

"Baked fresh this morning, gum drop buttons and everything." The Woman said holding up the tray a little. "I changed the recipe a little. I don't think the old man will mind, I mean the ginger really wasn't coming through, here you can be my guinea pig." She said holding one out to him. "Come on it's a free gingerbread."

"Yeah and I read Hansel and Gretel." Harvey replied, of course he wasn't going to deny a free gingerbread but he wasn't going to deny himself talking, well, verbally sparring with this woman for another couple of minutes. She was pretty tasty herself, aside from the nice ass she had wide hips, not exactly an hourglass figure but she wasn't far off. A little weight around her tummy, not much at all though and ample breasts, rosy round cheeks. She was shorter than Harvey too, small but with a powerful stare and he liked that. She had the attitude of someone three times her size and Harvey liked that a lot.

"Oh, so now I'm not just a hooker, I'm a witch too, jolly gee what a stand-up kind of guy you are!" She said letting out a sigh.

"Ok, give em' here, guinea pig ain't gunna be the worst thing I'm called today.'' Harvey said holding out a hand.

"Well it certainly won't if you leave everyone with the wonderful impression you're giving me right now." The woman replied. "Now eat, what do ya think?"

Harvey took a bite rather than replying and immediately he could taste the difference, it was subtle, subtle but an improvement that tied the whole thing together. Harvey had been buying gingerbread from here since he was a kid and it had never tasted so good.

"Good, good, they taste good, still missing something though." Harvey said and the woman folded her arms across her chest and watched him intently waiting for his answer. "The face." Harvey said holding up the half eaten gingerbread man. "Most important part." He added pulling off a gum drop button.

"Hadn't gotten around to it yet."

"No too busy scrubbing shelves and giving passers-by a good look at your ass I imagine." Harvey was pushing his luck and he knew it.

"Well a girls gotta have a U.S.P." She replied.

Harvey was surprised she hadn't punched him at that comment but he liked that she hadn't, he liked that she had the wit enough to reply. If there was one thing Harvey enjoyed it was a verbal jousting match, especially with a woman and especially if it led to other things. It had been so long since he'd been able to do that. The women he paid for sex couldn't exactly recreate the reality of having that kind of spat and the women he didn't pay for it with, well, he was usually a little drunk or they both were and then he couldn't be bothered.

"And you definitely have a sizeable one-" Harvey was really pushing it now a stupid grin plastered on his face. He let his implication trail off as he waited for a name.

"Penny, my names Penny and what do they call you? Tiny?" She asked him a smirk drifting across her lips.

"You're welcome to let me prove you wrong." Harvey grinned, there was no hurt in his voice though because he knew well enough to take it in the spirit of things. "Bullock, Harvey Bullock, Detective."

"Oh, a real James Bond you are." Penny let out a laugh, commenting of course on the way he'd said his name.

"Well Miss Money_penny_." Harvey did his best Connery impression but all Penny did was laugh.

"Don't give up your day job, or night job, or any job for that matter."

"Gingerbread's good, now can I get two to go and erm, better give me some bubblgum too and some twizzlers." Harvey said clocking the time and starting to fish around in his pocket for change.

"The Gingerbread you can have for being my guinea pig, the bubblegum you can have for the smart mouth and brightening my day. The twizzlers you can pay me a dollar twenty for.." Penny said matter-of-factly bagging everything up for him. "Come back next time and I might throw in some whiskey cremes." She said giving him a grin.


	3. Chapter 3: Sit Drink Stay

_**A/N:** Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_I made some changes since first re-publishing and have split a few of the chapters because they were really long._

_If you enjoy please do review =)_

* * *

Harvey was just licking his fingers, as he finished up the last gingerbread man when he heard the commotion.

"Get your DAMN hands off me right now!" Harvey turned, there was something about that voice he recognised and he had to chuckle when he tilted his head to see the shop girl being brought in. There was a guy two steps behind her with some uni's, he was holding his hand up to his nose, the other was limp beside him.

"She's an animal! She came out of nowhere."

"I'm an animal! Are you freaking kidding me, maybe it'll stop you-" Penny shouted at the top of her lungs, lunging back towards the man with the bloody nose.

"Quiet down miss." One of the unis said.

"I will not quiet damn down I am not the damn criminal here!" Penny shouted, in the time they'd been back and forthing Harvey had meandered on over to the balcony to watch what was going on, Penny was putting up quite the fuss.

"She attacked me."

"Sir we'll get to you in due course." The officer said to the other man. The man with the bloodied nose was in his early twenties, bigger than Penny but a skinny little thing in a suit and tie.

"If you're gunna believe that asshole just charge me right now because this is bull-"

"MISS!" The officer shouted. "You brought this on yourself, I'll interview you after." A sound akin to a snarl rumbled in Penny's chest as she was thrust into a holding cell. Harvey watched the officer walk away and Penny slump slightly. He watched her for a minute before deciding to head on over and find out just what the ruckus was, besides she might be firey but she didn't exactly strike him as the kind of girl who'd just attack a guy for no reason, even more so she didn't strike him as the kind of girl who'd steal from a guy.

"I knew you liked me but there's better ways to get my attention." Harvey grinned into the bars trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh great," Penny sighed barely looking up at him. All she needed right now was Detective Sarcastaball and his wonderful wit.

"Well, if you don't want my help." Harvey whistled and Penny looked up at him. "Come on what happened?" He offered and that time he was serious, Penny watched him for a minute, why would he want to help her? It was probably some sort of trade-off, maybe he had a bet going with someone else, either way something smelt off. The GCPD was about as corrupt as everywhere else in this city and Penny knew as soon as her attacker slipped someone a twenty, he'd be set free. Still at least someone was willing to half listen to her story.

"I locked up, I was leaving and he comes out of nowhere. He starts catcalling me thinking he's something so I answer him back. Come on, I'm not going to keep my mouth shut. That's when he grabs me, forces me against the wall and you know, tries it on, tries to stick his tongue in my mouth and his hand up my skirt." Penny said leaning against the bars.

"So, you did that to him?" Harvey asked gesturing back towards where the attacker was still holding his nose.

"I wish." Penny snorted. "No, I kneed him so hard he fell into the wall and did that to himself, that's why he's walking with a limp." Harvey barked out a laugh when she admitted that and Penny's lip curled up into a smirk, before it disappeared again. "He went screaming out onto the street where there were waiting cops and said I mugged him, said I stole his wallet. I was about five seconds into telling my side when he started calling me names. My temper might have gotten the better of me there, but still. So now I'm here being treated like a criminal and he's over there telling your officer that I stole his wallet.'' Penny let out a defeated sigh and folded her arms across her chest.

"Oh really?" Harvey asked looking the guy over for a minute as his brain moved into action.

"Yeah really, now I'm gunna get charged and that animal is gunna get off scot free." Penny's voice was unimpressed. She had managed to calm herself down but if this went much further, she could see her temper getting the better of her once again. "Yeah I'm a little mouthy when I need to be but if a girl doesn't defend herself in this city, she'll end up on the wrong end of some guys knife, or worse, his dick." Penny added running her fingers through her hair.

"Give me a second, I'll see what I can do." Harvey said, pushing himself away from the bars and walking over to the uniformed officer, who not a second before had left the attacker to walk over to the file cabinet. "Everything alright Hauser?" Harvey asked him with a grin.

"Yeah. just a mugging." Hauser replied. "Nothing to worry about, especially not now she's shut up screaming." Hauser gestured over to where Penny was.

"He mugged her?" Harvey asked.

"Naw, he says she mugged him, broke his nose then took his wallet and cell. We haven't had chance to pat her down yet but she could have thrown them easily." Hauseer replied.

"You really think she mugged him?" Harvey asked disbelief written on his face. It wasn't that Hauser was stupid, it was more a case he'd do anything for a quiet life.

"You should have seen the fuss she made when we tried to talk to her, she took a swing at Daniels and he was only doing his job." Hauser admitted. "She's trouble."

"Walk with me." Harvey said putting his arm around Hauser's shoulders and walking him back towards the attacker. "What's your guy's name?" Harvey asked before they approached.

"Daneery." Haurser replied giving Harvey a look of curiosity.

"Mr Daneery, we ah- couldn't see your driver's licence a second, an admin thing." Harvey said and on reflex Daneery immediately reached for and pulled out his wallet without a second thought, his cell phone tumbling with it.

"I thought she'd stolen them?" Hauser asked him.

"I-I-I-" Daneery fumbled with an excuse as Harvey whistled and gestured for the guard to let Penny out.

"You son of a bitch, you assaulted me you son of a bitch!" Penny wasn't even two steps out of the cell when she lunged forward and Harvey had to grab her round the waist.

"Woah! Woah! Stop." Harvey said manoeuvring her out of the attacker's eye line.

"They should castrate you, you freaking animal! Let me go!" Penny said struggling against Harvey's grip. "I'll make sure you don't walk right forever you come near me again." She screamed across the station and Harvey had to physically lift her up and move her out of the way. Hauser was right she was trouble, the awful thing was Harvey quite liked trouble, especially when it had an ass and mouth like Penny's. "You just blew any chance of you pressing charges in front of a whole room of witnesses. C'mon, move up the stairs. Right now." Harvey pretty much ordered. Penny stared him down for a minute before turning on her heel and stalking up the stairs to his desk.

"Sit." Harvey gestured to the chair and when Penny sat down, which took more than a moment, he opened his bottom drawer and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a glass, he poured some in and handed it over to her.

"Drink." He said firmly.

"And stay?" She asked glaring at him.

"Yes." Harvey said before taking back off down the stairs and towards Daneery, Hauser had disappeared for a form. "Now you don't wanna press charges, do you? I mean, you picked the wrong woman to try it on with and now you're hurt. You also lied to an officer and wasted police time. Now, if you want to go down that route, I'm sure we can get her statement and yours and we'll all be knee deep in a heavy law suit, where they'll pick over every mistake you ever made." Harvey said seriously. Daneery struggled with words for a moment, the easiest place to press on kids like these was bad press exposure.

"I mean I'm sure daddy won't mind the press coverage." He added before thinking a moment. "Or you can drop this and leave right now and if I ever catch you in here again, if I ever so much as get a sniff of your name in connection with a woman who's hurt I'll take you down to Blackgate and let the boys on G-wing have at you. Trust me that-" Harvey gestured down to the other man's crotch. "Will seem like a massage in comparison." He growled. Daneery yelped and shifted in his seat, with that he walked away.

Penny watched him closely eyes drifting between her attacker and Harvey. So maybe every cop in the GCPD wasn't completely useless. She watched Hauser return and Daneery mumble some apologises and get up to leave.

"He's not pressing charges." Harvey said sitting down opposite her, he watched her for a minute. She didn't seem too shook up, in fact she seemed fine apart from the anger that simmered just below the surface. They were silent for a moment as she downed the first glass and poured herself another. Harvey hadn't had a woman leave such an impression on him in a long time and it was refreshing. "I'll drop you home if you like." Harvey offered. "Or I can get one of the unis too."

"No, it's fine. I'll walk." Penny replied. "It just makes me mad."

"If you want to press charges-" Harvey started and Penny cut him off.

"I'm not stupid Detective. Like it would go anywhere? I'd press charges and he'd press them for assault. I can't afford a lawyer so he'd get off scot free anyway." Penny shrugged.

"Let me drive you home." Harvey offered. "Least I can do."

"Least _you_ can do?" Penny asked raising a brow. "I think you've already done enough. I'd still be sat in a cell if you hadn't gotten me out. Thanks." Penny said giving him a smile. "Really I'll be fine, honestly." Penny said standing up and brushing herself off.

"Next time the twizzlers are on me though." She said with a wink and with that she left. Left Harvey to his drink and a stack of files he wasn't going to get through because his mind was too busy wandering over other things.

Penny Clarke had been chewed up and spat out by Gotham herself since birth. She'd never really had any aspirations beyond survival and happiness if she was honest. She'd flirted with the idea of being a nurse at one point, flirted with the idea of being an actress but had never taken either idea seriously. For a girl like her the idea was completely ridiculous, anything above shop keep was pretty ridiculous.

She was in her thirties now and had already had more than enough heartache dished out to her by the city of sin. She could, should have ended up like countless people in the city who turned to drugs and prostitution but she refused, she refused to let Gotham drag her completely down into its underbelly. She would work hard and if all she had was her crummy apartment at the end of it then so be it. She could cope with that, cope without fancy things if it meant she stayed out any sort of mobsters way and got to live a semi-quiet life.

So, after the excitement of the evening Penny Clarke settled down on her sofa with a glass of wine, the tv playing and a mind that was trying to stop itself thinking about how now she owed Detective Harvey Bullock one.


	4. Chapter 4: Make A Crappy Day Less Crappy

_**A/N:** Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_I made some changes since first re-publishing and have split a few of the chapters because they were really long._

_If you enjoy please do review =)_

* * *

"Are you doing that just to entice me in?" Harvey Bullock had been in that damn sweet shop every other day since he'd broken Penny out of her cell. He could feel something between them, a sort of chemistry that he quite liked. Here she was on her knees again cleaning and here Harvey was again admiring the view.

"I could have you arrested for harassment. You know that don't you?" Penny retorted barely glancing at him.

"You wouldn't." Harvey replied with a smirk on his face.

"Come on then? What do you want this time?" Penny asked sounding exasperated as she stood up and brushed herself off.

"You mean aside from the view?" Harvey retorted. Penny folded her arms and tilted her head giving him a look that had come to be just so Penny-like to him over the past few days. It was slightly disappointed with a hint of 'really?' about it. "Ok, ok." Harvey said shaking her off. "Gingerbread."

"We don't have any today, I told you there won't be any more until next week." Penny said resting her back against the counter, arms still folded across her chest. "I can't be that interesting." Penny shook her head, but she was smiling. Harvey took a step forward, then another.

"Well I've only seen bits and pieces." Harvey grinned looking her over again.

"Don't you have work?" Penny raised a brow at him.

"I am working." Harvey huffed and that was a huff that had bad day written all over it.

"Rough day?" Penny asked a hint of sympathy in her voice.

"Hmm." Harvey ran his fingers through his hair. He really didn't want to go into the case with her, he really didn't want to ruin this little piece of heaven in a crappy day, it wasn't just a crappy day it was a damn hellish day. Kids were involved and that always made things a million times worse.

"Anything I can do?" Penny offered. "I just made up a batch of frosting for the cupcakes. There's enough to go round."

"There is something you could do actually." Harvey said taking his hat off again and running his fingers through his hair nervously. Penny eyed him and it dawned on her what he might be about to say.

"No. No. Nope!" Penny shook her head. "No, not happening. Read my lips buster! I. Don't. Date." Penny said seriously.

"You didn't date." Harvey tried to correct her with a grin on his face. "Come on, a date with me will never be as crappy as the day I'm having."

"Yeah because that just really makes me want to come out with you." Penny rolled her eyes and set some things on the shelves as Harvey took another step towards her.

"Penny, Penn listen to me." Harvey said. Penny turned around and folded her arms across her chest again.

"I kind of feel like we have a thing and I know you feel it to, c'mon. One date, that's all I'm asking." Harvey said a cheeky grin lighting up his face. "Come on, a date, just one. One to make up for a crappy day. There's gotta be a compliment in there somewhere."

"Detective Bullock." Penny started.

"Don't Detective Bullock me, c'mon what you gotta lose?" Harvey asked tilting his head and giving her a wink. Penny stared him out for a moment. She thought about it, and, he actually had a point. She didn't have anything to lose. Penny didn't date though. She had the occasional one night stand every-once-in-a-while, but she hadn't had a proper date in well over five years and it had been even longer since she'd had any kind of relationship. Still she could think of worse ways to spend an evening then in Harvey's company. Harvey gave her puppy dog eyes and made a noise, leaning in slightly the grin still across his face.

"Fine, right ok. You pick me up outside here though." Penny said.

"No, I'll pick you up outside your apartment. Don't worry I'll get the address. Be ready for eight." Harvey said, feeling smug and satisfied with himself he started to head for the door again.

"Harvey! Harvey nowhere fancy! This isn't a date date ok, this-" The words were lost as he disappeared though. Penny sighed softly but allowed a silly grin to light up her own features for just a moment.

?*#

"This place?" Penny had her arms folded across her chest as she looked up at the restaurant before her. It wasn't exactly uptown, not somewhere the high society men and women dined but it was certainly classier than any place she'd have picked. She felt a little under dressed but Penny never showed her insecurity, she refused point blank too. So, she wasn't wearing a designer label and she wasn't a classy girl. She was damn well entitled to eat in a place like this once in a while and hell if Harvey was paying that was fine by her. Still, she'd have much rather him taken them to the bar and grill in downtown. That place played fantastic music, the food was good and almost always left you fit to bursting. Plus, the drinks were cheap.

"This place." Harvey said to her. "What's the matter? It not fancy enough for you?" He raised a brow. He had a feeling he might have messed up. Maybe Penny really was used to fine dining and knew all the best places to eat lobster and caviar, but Harvey had never gotten that vibe from her.

"Oh yeah because I'm so used to the high life, this is practically down market for me." Penny said. She hadn't opened her coat yet and she wondered what Harvey would think when she did. The dress was tight and black and perhaps a little too short for a place like this, the lack of added jewellery detracted from the classiness of the whole ensemble. The high black heels made her legs look damn good though. She wasn't looking to impress Harvey, or anyone else for that matter, no ma'am but there was still a little ball of apprehension in her stomach for when she shed the coat.

"Come on, I booked a table and everything." Harvey said holding the door open for her. Penny closed her eyes and let out a sigh as she made her way into the restaurant. Inside wasn't half as fancy as the outside. In fact, it was more cozy then fancy, all hard wood and dark colours with little intimate booths full of couples and open tables with business men celebrating, work mates out for a pizza together. The smell though. Penny inhaled and everything smelt so good. She hadn't been expecting that, nor had she been expecting the portion sizes she could see on the plates going past her, she was glad lunch had been light now.

Penny and Harvey were shown to their table by the waiter and he offered them drinks. As she couldn't go straight in for a tequila slammer Penny decided cocktails were probably the way to go. Harvey on the other hand had gone for beer which surprised her because she thought he'd be on the Jack, maybe they'd save that for later on though.

"You do realise I have hollow legs right Harvey?" Penny asked him jokingly as she picked up a menu and started to look over it. "I can put away a helluvalot." She added.

"Yeah? Well that I'd like to see." Harvey retorted as though he didn't entirely believe her on that one. He would like to see it though, he liked seeing a woman who wasn't ashamed of eating in front of other people. There were plenty of them around, Harvey knew that but they seemed to keep eluding him.

"All right, you better prepare your damn wallet Bullock." Penny said to him looking over the menu. "Garlic bread, I want garlic bread to start and then..." She pondered over the menu for a moment. "Burger or pasta, burger or pasta." She hummed to herself for a minute. "Polpette Americano." Penny said. It was Spaghetti with pork and beef meatballs, tomato garlic and herb sauce and a hint of chilli. "Then I'll wait until after to decide on my desert." She grinned at him and Harvey just stared at her for a moment with a look of disbelief on his face.

"Ok, ok then." Harvey nodded. Harvey beckoned the waiter over with his hand. He took a minute to mull over the menu, he had to get something different, it was etiquette and it meant they could share. Penny's did sound really good though. "I will have Agnello Tagliatelle, and some doughballs to start. The lady will have Polpette Americano, Garlic bread and we'll both take a refill on these if you don't mind." Harvey said to the waiter who nodded his hand flying across the little notepad in his hand. He picked up the menus and disappeared to the kitchen.

"So, what happened?" Penny asked him. "With the case? You get your man?" Penny said curiously.

"I don't really wanna talk about that." Harvey said gruffly and his tone changed in an instant.

"Problem shared?" Penny retorted.

"This problem won't be halved by sharing it trust me. I don't wanna talk about it." Harvey repeated that time with a little tenacity. Penny held her hands up and shook her head. "I don't wanna talk about it and you don't wanna hear it, trust me." Harvey added.

"You know I can handle it? Whatever it is, trust me I can handle it. I've heard things, I've seen things Harvey. God, I've been wrung out by Gotham enough times." Penny admitted.

"Dammit Penny! I don't wanna talk about it." Harvey said seriously.

"Ok, ok we'll talk about something else then." Penny played with the straw in her cocktail for a minute. "You know you weren't the only offer of a date I got today." Penny said.

"Oh really?" Harvey asked leaning back in his chair and watching her.

"Yeah, really, one of the rich kids dad's. He ah, he asked me." Penny admitted.

"I told you waving that ass around would bring you trouble." Harvey replied. "So, why'd you leave him in the lurch?"

"I don't date." Penny said.

"You didn't." Harvey corrected her again.

"That and I doubt he could handle me. Really, I think he was under the impression it'd be some pretty woman kind of deal, wait, I don't mean pretty woman I think I mean the other one." Penny clicked her fingers trying to remember. "My Fair Lady." Harvey snorted. "Exactly." Penny said shaking her head.

"I don't understand why anyone in their right mind would wanna date me, let alone anyone like that." Penny said shaking her head. Harvey didn't say anything. It wasn't that he was being rude it's that he understood Penny wasn't searching for compliments. She genuinely was baffled as to why anyone would want to date her and Harvey found that kind of endearing. It wasn't a self-confidence thing either and Harvey knew that. Penny was so confident in herself, knew exactly who she was and she was damn comfortable with it. Plus, Harvey himself would have felt uneasy if some rich dame suddenly took an interest in him, then again, he didn't have Penny's ass, or her face.

"Oh, and some famous gal came in all airs and graces. She's off that TV show, oh what's it called- uhm." Penny paused again and clicked. "Dammit, oh god." Penny was really struggling. "Harringtons! That's it, that drama thing with all the brits." Penny said. "She was all airs and graces, kind of pretty, I mean if you like that kind of thing." She said with a shrug. "She asked me if I wanted her autograph and I told her not really you shoulda' seen the look on her face!" Penny said letting out a laugh. That laugh, it was just like the rest of her, completely unashamed and it was also attracting attention. "So that was my day." Penny said taking another drink of her cocktail.

"You don't like that show, do you?" Harvey asked giving her a sceptical look.

"No, no it's all crap. I tend to stick to the classics if I'm honest. I'm a little stuck in my ways with music and film." Penny admitted sitting up and playing with her straw.

"Oh really? You gotta a thing for the oldies then? Come on then what's your favourite film?" Harvey asked her.

"Nuh uh, no you'll laugh." Penny said shaking her head. "You go first!" She replied.

"That bad huh? Ok, ok, uhm. I don't know if I can pick a favourite. I mean I'm a fan of a few. I always had a thing for the black and whites, you know the old film noir? I'm a bit of a film nerd like that." Harvey admitted.

"Film what?" Penny asked narrowing her eyes.

"Film noir, it's a genre. You know like action, horror, drama." Harvey said. "A lot of old black and white detective stuff falls into it. Anyway, so come on, what's your favourite film?" Harvey asked. He really wasn't going to let that go and Penny sighed, he was a film nerd. He was going to think she was ridiculous and the soft spot she had for this film didn't really go with her image.

"Ok, don't laugh." Penny said. "Sound of Music." She said quickly and Harvey cocked a brow and gave her a look of disbelief.

"I was expecting Basic Instinct or Die Hard or something." Harvey admitted.

"I have this thing for musicals, I always liked Sound of Music from being really young." Penny said. "I mean don't get me wrong, you were half right. I can't get enough of Die Hard, John McClane saving the day is all kinds of my favourite thing but Sound of Music trumps it."

"You disappoint me Miss Clarke." Harvey teased. "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to end this date right now, I mean I don't think I can sit opposite a woman who just put Die Hard and Sound of Music in the same sentence."

"Leave me the money for my food then because I ain't moving an inch." Penny retorted sipping at her cocktail again. "It's like a comfort blanket, you know." Penny added and it was the first time Harvey had seen her show an ounce of vulnerability. The time he'd spent with her he'd not once seen her show anything that could be considered soft or vulnerable and it took him by surprise that Penny might even need anything resembling a comfort blanket.

"Alright, what about music? Please don't tell me you're into all this modern techno pop crap?" Harvey asked.

"No, unfortunately I'm constantly stuck pre-90's with my music tastes." Penny admitted. "Give me some mo-town funk any day. Thee best song ever made is September by Earth Wind and Fire and you can argue the point with me all you want but I defy you not to smile when that comes on and people start dancing." Penny said matter of factly.

"I never really thought about an ultimate song but I'm with you on the pre-90's thing. In fact, I'd agree with you on the motown thing too but eh, there are better Earth Wind and Fire songs." Harvey admitted. Harvey was about to say something again when the waiter arrived with their food, the starters were more side dishes and so he'd brought everything out together.

Eating was interesting, Harvey had never really eaten with a woman like Penny and he'd eaten with a lot of women. She didn't hide behind her hand. She didn't feel the need to cover up or eat differently because she was eating opposite him. She showed her appreciation though, noises leaving her throat that made Harvey a little hot under the collar and the other diners start to look at them. Penny responded to them with a quip that made Harvey smirk. She was quick under pressure and unafraid it seemed of anyone. He was surprised when she didn't play out the Harry Met Sally scene after some woman or another exclaimed their distaste at her laugh one too many times.

Penny polished off all three dishes and desert to boot. Washed down with four cocktails over the course of the evening. Harvey could see she could hold her liquor from the fact the cocktails had barely touched the sides. She was a little rosy cheeked, but certainly not drunk.

"Your bad day." Penny said turning to him when she was seated and belted in the front seat of his car. "It was kids wasn't it." She said.

"Penn." Harvey sighed, he really didn't want to talk about it.

"It's ok, I know it must be rough. I understand you don't wanna talk about it but let me tell you something now it isn't your fault. You can't beat yourself up over it because there are some sick people in this world." Penny said reaching out to put a hand on his arm.

"And you don't think I know that?" Harvey asked her tilting her head. "You don't know whether this was my fault or not so just, I don't wanna talk about it ok?" Harvey said seriously.

"Ok." Penny shrugged and started to rifle through his dashboard. "Have you tried that new stall that's opened up near the laundrette on 4th ave yet?" Penny asked changing the subject. "Best hot dogs ever, like seriously you need to go there. You'd love it!"

"Yeah?" Harvey asked her.

"Yeah." Penny replied resting her head on the window. When they got to her apartment block Harvey walked her right up to the door and lingered in the door way.

Penny wasn't gunna sleep with him. That was a definite, she liked him, well she'd started to like him. He was pretty attractive once you got past the fake-swag he tried to put on but she still wasn't going to sleep with him.

"Well this is me. I mean you can come in for coffee if you want but don't get any ideas." Penny said seriously.

"Naw, I have work again in the morning, coffee will just keep me up all night." Harvey said with a shrug, there was a smile playing at his lips.

"Harvey I actually had a nice time tonight." Penny admitted though it pained her too. "You know maybe I wouldn't mind making your next crappy day less crappy."

"You want a second date? The woman who doesn't date, wants a second?" Harvey clutched at his chest mocking shock, Penny swiped for him and he dodged it grinning like an idiot.

"I didn't say that! I still don't date!" Penny pointed out.

"Thanks for making a crappy day a lot less crappy." Harvey smiled at her. He leaned in, and Penny was about to step away when she realised he wasn't going to kiss her on the lips. He was going for her cheek and that was sweet. Really sweet. Once he'd kissed her on the cheek. Harvey put his hat back on and started to go back to his car. "I'll call you about that second date." He grinned turning back to face her and walking backwards.

"Not a date Harvey!" Penny called after him.

* * *

_**A/N: If you enjoy please do review =) And if you want to keep up with the story and updates why not follow it! **_


	5. Chapter 5: A Whole Year

_**A/N:** Anything recognisable to Gotham belongs to it's rightful owners. I only own Penny and a few extra OC's who may be scattered along this fic._

_I made some changes since first re-publishing and have split a few of the chapters because they were really long._

_If you enjoy please do review =)_

* * *

Penny never got her second date. In fact, Penny never got a call from Harvey at all. Not for another year. Things happened that got in the way of Harvey ever calling Penny for a second date and one of those things was his brain being filled left, right, and centre with cases. Harvey, though he'd never admit it to himself, was a sucker for sabotaging his own happiness. He actually really liked Penny, she had this spunk about her, this attitude that said she'd try to take on anyone, even if they out matched her in height and weight. She had secrets too, Harvey could tell that, she had a black box just like he did, and he liked that too. He also sensed that beneath all that bluster, a softer side was hiding.

After a month had passed Harvey knew he couldn't waltz back into the sweet shop and as Penny wasn't heading to the station any time soon, he avoided it, at all costs. Even getting his new partners to go in there for him.

A year had passed.

A whole year since he'd not called her back, not gotten a second date. A whole year without him getting to have the banter of those short-lived weeks in the previous year. A whole year of getting partners to go in there and buy his twizzlers or getting them from another store. A whole year and it would have probably been longer only Harvey went in there by mistake.

Penny had just stared at him for a moment and then quipped something about him finally deciding to show up. Surprisingly, she'd been calm. She hadn't over-reacted, Harvey liked that. She just shrugged it off and said that it was ok, sometimes people don't fit and sometimes life gets in the way. Harvey had reiterated that he'd had a really good time. He'd tried to explain. He wanted her to know that it wasn't about not-fitting, in fact, he thought they fit pretty well. No, this was about work, this was about him using the excuse of work because maybe somewhere deep down he didn't think he really deserved the kind of happiness he could see himself having with Penny. This was about the fact he didn't think he deserved _someone_, not someone who got him the way Penny seemed too.

Harvey couldn't say all that though, wouldn't say all that and so instead he'd come back the following day with a bunch of flowers and a hot dog from that place he remembered her saying she liked. He offered to take her out again and despite her reservations Penny agreed, she still didn't have anything to lose.

Harvey never showed up for that date either though.

It was three days later when Penny saw him. It was a Thursday and Penny was late home, she always went to her ballroom dancing classes on a Thursday. It wasn't professional, far from it. It was a group of people in a drafty studio all with two left feet or co-ordination problems learning how to dance at their own pace. She enjoyed it, it gave her the social interaction she wanted and there was no pressure, everyone was in the same boat and nobody had any airs and graces that a proper dance studio might have.

Penny rounded the corner to her apartment and saw the lump curled up on the floor near it. Panic blossomed in her chest. She had no idea it was Harvey. Bile rose up in her throat, what if it was _him?_ What would she do? She doubted she could keep her temper, one of them would definitely end up dead. She thought _he_ was dead though, she thought _he'd_ be dead or at very least that _he'd_ never ever come back to Gotham, not with Falcone looking for him.

When she got closer and recognised the fedora, the scruff of beard, a sigh left her lips. Relief bloomed inside her chest and spread out to her fingers and toes.

"Detective Bullock?" Penny said raising a brow at him and sounding deeply unimpressed.

"I've been waitin' for you." Harvey replied, he sounded drunk.

"Oh yeah, you mean like I was waiting for you for over an hour?" Penny retorted, she wanted to step over him open the door and slam it behind her.

"Is that all?" Harvey pushed and Penny scoffed, shaking her head. She didn't know whether she wanted to punch him or go for his gun and shoot him. "Penn I'm sorry. I got a little mixed up in something." Harvey said sincerely.

"You know the beauty of being a cop is you can spin all kinds of lies. I was on a stakeout, I got pulled onto a case. If you didn't wanna take me out Harvey you shouldn't have offered. I'm not some little girl scout gunna get all heartbroken but I won't be made a damn foo-" Penny stopped mid-sentence as Harvey pushed his hat up. Penny looked at his face.

Harvey looked like he'd been battered every which way. There was a cut on his face, bruising too, and if the way he was slumped was anything to go by he'd taken a kicking to the ribs.

"I didn't lie Penn." Harvey said. Penny was trying not to show how concerned she was. Men like Harvey were dangerous, they were all rough and scruffy and walked with swagger that made you think, because they wanted you to think it, that they were assholes. Beneath it all though they were gentlemen, romantic and kind. They were good men with hearts of gold and a deep desire to be a hero. Men like Harvey were dangerous because they gave you hope. Hope that there were more men like Harvey out there.

"No, you just didn't show up." Penny retorted. "Come on, get up I can't exactly leave you out here in that state." Penny grumbled letting her apartment door swing open. She wasn't going to help him up though he could do that himself. When Harvey did get up the extent of his injuries was a little clearer, he was holding his arm across his ribs, almost limping and his face was a mess. "Have you been to the hospital?" Penny asked him. Harvey scoffed at her.

Penny's apartment was small and shabby. The living room opened onto the kitchen, the bathroom was small and pokey and off the living room. It was equipped with a shower, a tiny bathtub, sink, mirror, and toilet. The living room had a few shelves with bits and pieces on, a tiny VHS collection on a stand, an old TV with the VHS player underneath it. Penny had no pictures of anyone, anywhere, not even one of herself. The walls where they joined the ceiling were clearly damp and the first signs of mould that had been painted over were there. In front of her television there was a couch, sturdy looking but old and there was a single chair, both had clearly come as a set a long time ago. Penny's bedroom, the only one in the apartment was almost directly opposite the front door. She had a large double bed with basic looking bed coverings. Penny's apartment wasn't fancy but there were clear signs where she'd tried to make it feel more like home. Ornaments and fake flowers, there was a collection of figurines on a high shelf.

Harvey limped in and almost fell onto the couch, he would have hovered in the doorway, but he didn't have the energy, he pulled his hip flask from his jacket pocket and took a swig.

"That's not going to help." Penny chastised him as she put the kettle on to boil.

"It's helping with the pain." Harvey grumbled.

"Put it down." Penny pretty much ordered him as she opened a cupboard and pulled out a small first aid kit. She never really used it, so it was still well stocked. "Take your shoes off too, you're not lying down on my couch with those things on." Penny instructed. As mad as she was at him, Penny actually gave a damn about Harvey and she wouldn't see him hurt. In some respects, her and Harvey were cut from the same cloth. They both liked to force out this idea that they were tough as nails and as hard to get through as old leather. It wasn't always the case though. Penny would never see a kid go hungry on her watch and where her friends were concerned, she was usually one of the first in the throng of things helping out. The biggest difference between Penny and Harvey was that Penny was brave, so much so sometimes it got her into trouble. Harvey on the other hand knew when to step back.

"What are you doing woman?" Harvey asked her. He took his shoes off slowly and lay down on the couch getting comfortable, well as comfortable as he could be on a couch. Still, lying like this took the pressure off his spine and the bruising on the underside of his leg so he preferred it. He took his hat off too and the extent of his injuries were visible.

"I'm going to clean your beat ass up. I'm also still deciding whether or not to add to those bruises, so I suggest you shut your mouth." Penny replied with her back to him. Harvey's lips twitched at a smile, even though it hurt to smile. "What happened to you?" Penny asked as she brought everything over on a tray, including two coffees.

"Don't-" Harvey started.

"Don't you don't me or I'll give you a matching black eye and throw you out on your ass!" Penny growled. She nudged him up a little and perched on the edge of the couch. The wounds she could see were a couple of days old and Harvey clearly hadn't gotten around to cleaning himself up. Harvey wouldn't admit to it but the first night he'd gone home and collapsed onto his bed only to wake up a few hours later with blood on the sheets. After that he'd gone to the underground doctor and got one wound stitched up. The pills the doctor gave him coupled with the alcohol had knocked him out for a whole day. He'd spent the next morning sleeping and then he'd remembered Penny. Penny could see there was a bandage through his tight shirt over his stomach and Harvey would be hard-pressed to stop her checking that.

"What happened?" Penny said again as she dipped a cotton ball into the lukewarm water and brought it up to his eyebrow and the cut there.

"I tried to put a stop to something." Harvey said, he sounded half ashamed of himself. Dix had always said no heroes and Dix was right. Harvey couldn't sit by and watch this time though. There was no partner to get damaged here it was just him. He'd been a fool and he knew it.

"What? Something in the GCPD?" Penny asked him. Harvey just watched her for a minute until Penny spoke again. "Everyone knows the GCPD is corrupt Harvey." Penny said to him. "Those who don't are too naive to understand how Gotham works, this is the city of sin. You slip a cop a twenty and he'll look the other way."

"We're not all like that." Harvey said, he didn't know why but he wanted to tell Penny that he wasn't a bad cop. Not really. He wanted, no he needed her to believe that he was just doing what he had to, to survive.

"I don't blame them Harvey, you got to go along to get along right? I just mean that some cops are worse than others. Some cops revel in the power that comes with that duality." Penny sighed. "I know there are worse guys than you, I didn't actually mean you." Penny said shaking her head.

"There's two cops, running this ring. I caught them with a girl." Harvey frowned and swallowed for a moment. Penny knew what was coming. "She can't have been older than 16, 17 and they were all acting like she was a seasoned prostitute. I got nothing against working girls or other people using them." Harvey said leaving out the fact that he himself used them from time to time. Penny suspected that though already. "There's a line you don't cross though. I brought it up with the chief and they didn't like it, said she just looked young, but I'd checked her records. She was seventeen Penn and they were feeding her drugs and doing god knows what. I tried to take it a little higher and this is what happened. No heroes in Gotham." Harvey let out a disappointed sigh. "They got me after work. I couldn't help her Penn, what if I made things worse? I was on my way to the restaurant when they jumped me." Harvey watched Penny carefully, she wasn't looking at him, she was staring at a spot on the wall and he could practically feel the rage bubbling beneath her skin. Her jaw was wound so tight he swore it was going to lock and then she sort of shook her head and snapped herself out of it. Looking back down at him and starting to clean the blood off his head again.

"I haven't been in work since. I told a few of the guys though, when they asked me why I wasn't in. I know the GCPD is corrupt, drugs and gangsters are one thing, but you don't touch kids. I think two or three of the other officers might have dealt with these two detectives." Harvey admitted with a frown.

"Good, so they should." Penny managed to get out. "Did they cut you?" She changed the subject running her finger over the spot where the bandage was.

"Lil' bit, it's nothing to worry about." Harvey replied, he wanted his hip flask back and he made to reach for it. Penny didn't stop him, in fact she snatched it off him and took a swig herself.

"Well you better get to opening this, if I'm patching you up, I may as well do the lot." Penny sighed and rinsed out the cotton ball bringing it back to his face.

"You gunna kiss it better?" Harvey grinned trying to lighten the mood. "Because I've got this pain righ-" He started and Penny punched him, hard on the arm so that he winced and let out a grumble.

Once Penny had cleaned Harvey up, she told him he may as well stay on the couch, it was too late for him to be going anywhere. She was kind of worried for him, he was in no shape to stand up for himself at this hour in Gotham and this building alone could see him run into someone with a grudge. Penny was cleaning up, her back to Harvey as he started on a hot chocolate she'd made after the coffee was finished. Harvey had a million and one questions for her, he wanted to know everything about her. Her apartment didn't really give an amazing amount away.

"Hey Penn." He said wiping the chocolate from his moustache, she reached for the pan on the side and made a noise of acknowledgement in Harvey's direction. "Let me take you out again." Harvey offered.

Penny paused and sighed closing her eyes for a moment. She hated him, she really, really hated him. She hated him for giving her a sparring partner, she hated him because she had that spark with him. She hated him for showing her a good time, for being a gentleman. She hated him for disappointing her, making her feel things she hadn't felt, hadn't wanted to feel and hadn't hoped for in a long time. The worst thing though, the very worst thing was that she didn't hate him at all. She wouldn't set herself up to be hurt again though, to be disappointed.

"Harvey, come on. You don't have to offer to take me out because I patched you up." Penny replied.

"I'm not doing it for that." Harvey said.

"Harvey I'm not dating material." Penny pointed out.

"You're talking to the guy who forgot to call you back and stood you up?" Harvey let out a laugh.

"Exactly, I mean look what happened when we tried to go out a second time, you got your ass handed to you-"

"Give me three reasons why it's not a good idea because as far as I can see you still got nothing to lose." Harvey pointed out. He was wrong though. Penny had everything to lose now because hope was a very dangerous thing to instil in someone and the hope Harvey was starting to instil in her, the hope that she could have a happy, loving relationship was something that she wanted to bury so deep down that it never resurfaced.

"Number one I'm an asshole, you deserve a little housewife who'll cook and clean for you. Number 2 it'll probably take you another two years to actually arrange a damn date. Three I don't want to date, I didn't want to date the first time you took me out." Penny said.

Harvey wasn't really offended, he was a little bit disappointed, but he wouldn't pass up being friends with Penny. A spark was a spark and it would probably still be there in years to come. He liked her. He respected her wishes but that didn't mean he was going to give up. For now, he'd just enjoy being her friend, enjoy having this little womanly shaped lump of trouble in his life and if all she ever wanted to be was friends then that would be fine by him. She wasn't an asshole, he wasn't going to correct her though because he knew she wasn't saying it for effect. It would have taken him exactly ten minutes to organise another date. Harvey in reality only had himself to blame, although she didn't show it, he knew Penny had been disappointed in him and he could understand if she didn't want to set herself up for it again.

"Ok, no dates." Harvey said with a nod. "You got a problem with me asking from time to time?" He asked.

"You got a problem with me punching you in the face when it starts to piss me off?" Penny asked arms folded across her chest.

"No ma'am." Harvey saluted her and leaned back against the couch.

That one night of Harvey staying on Penny's couch would become a pretty regular thing over the years, when Harvey got too drunk, when Harvey had a crappy day and had a little drink. He usually ended up at Penny's and he always ended up on her couch. Harvey had declared it the comfiest couch in Gotham, even though he'd almost broken it twice. Penny was always there with an ear and a firm word when he needed it, she was always there to set him straight about things. She was the support he needed because Harvey did need support even if he'd never admit it. They got into a trend and once every blue moon Penny would let Harvey buy her breakfast and walk her to work.

#?~

Neither of them really had any serious romantic attachments, the short-lived ones always felt odd. More so for Harvey than Penny. When he showed up at her apartment and she had a guy there it was a source of contention, Harvey would make a joke out of place and Penny would always put Harvey before the guy, she'd always tell the guy he had to go because Harvey was her friend and she couldn't leave him out in the cold. For Penny and Harvey, it was going to take something big for them to actually admit the way they felt about each other. Penny buried her feelings so deep it would probably end up a deathbed confession and as the years went on Harvey became more cynical and beaten up by Gotham. He couldn't face the humiliation and disappointment of admitting his feelings to Penny only for her to rebuff them. He'd rather pretend they weren't there, see his prostitutes, go about his business and stay on her couch every once in a while.

Yes, it was going to take something big, something life threatening, something like certain death for either of them to ever admit anything and that moment wasn't going to come for either of them until years later.

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_**A/N: If you enjoy please do review =) And if you want to keep up with the story and updates why not follow it! **_


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